Consumption of Beef linked to Colon cancer

Consumption of beef raised the risk of colon cancer, according the evidence from around the world, according to a Noble Laureate. According to him, the low incidence of colon rectal cancer in India cold be due to less consumption of beef here., (except in Kerala).

South American countries like Argentina, Uruguay, the US, Australia & Europe, where red meat is favoured, witness a high incidence of this form of cancer, according to researchers. They said high rectal cancer may be caused by undiscovered heat-resistant carcinogens present in beef & its products. These may be undiscovered carcinogens, which are thermo-resistant, present predominantly in beef. Some polymaviruses are known to survive temperatures up to 80 deg C for 30 minutes leading to their survival in partially cooked meat, they said.

Red meat could also be linked to breast cancer & lung cancer in the West, according to the Nobel laureate.

But in India, the reasons for the high incidence of breast cancer, despite low consumption of red meat could be linked to dairy products, he said.

With cervical cancer being a common cancer among Indian women, he felt that administering vaccines against the pappillomavirus to men & not just women  alone could help restrict its spread & help in its eradication.